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| President Buhari receives in audience H.E. Mohamed Bazoum, President of the Republic of Niger in State House on 19th April 2021 |
An assurance went out Monday from President Muhammadu Buhari to the newly inaugurated President of Republic of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, who was in Nigeria on his first international visit: โWe will stabilize our region for the benefit of the two countries.โ
President Buhari said Nigerians and Nigeriens are people with similar culture, language and ways of life, โand we also share about 1,500 kilometres of land border, so we cannot ignore each other.โ
The President congratulated Bazoum on winning the recent presidential election, and his successful inauguration into office.
โYou have been in the system for a long time. The only thing is that you had never been President. Now you are one,โ the host President said, assuring that Nigeria would assist its close neighbour in diverse ways as required.
On terrorism, as perpetrated by Boko Haram, President Buhari observed that Republic of Niger also suffers high casualties, vowing; โWe will do all it takes to secure our two countries.โ
President Buhari was thankful to the immediate past President, Mahamadou Issoufou, for what he calls โhis understanding and sacrificesโ to help stabilize the region, urging the successor to maintain the institutions his predecessor had established.
President Bazoum said he was delighted to make Nigeria his first port of call, noting that the two countries have common interests, โand, therefore, a good relationship is very important.
โOn security, he observed that the fact that some Nigerians flee to Niger during terrorist attacks โshows that we need to cooperate, and we will face our challenges together.โ
